We hear that statement now and then and most people profess to understand it. Most will tell you they realize that you can’t put garbage in one end and expect anything but garbage to come out the other side. Sure, they might understand it when talking to a coworker about a project or a child about their homework, but it’s amazing how many people can’t relate that simple statement to their own body.

Simply put, you can’t eat junk and expect your body to perform. How many people do you know that complain about being a few pounds overweight as they eat a hamburgers and fries? Or have you ever talked to a friend that whines about being heavy with a soft drink in their hand? Sure you have. We all know people like this. If you can’t say yes to these questions then maybe that person is you.

Perhaps the problem is that some people don’t understand what garbage food really is. Maybe it’s confusion about quality foods. The good news is that we can give you a few simple rules to live by that will help you make real changes in your quality of life.

1. Don’t eat it if it didn’t grow, walk, fly or swim. Almost anything that fits this description is going to be pretty darn good for you.
2. If the packaging your food comes in takes up the same amount of room after you’ve eaten the food, it’s probably not great for you. Our stores are filled with shelves of processed foods that are packaged in cardboard boxes and more often than not, that food is not very healthy for you.
3. If you can’t pronounce and understand what’s on the label, don’t eat it. Lots of packaged foods are loaded with chemicals to make it look better or last longer and none of that is good for us.

If you follow these simple rules in your daily diet, you will almost certainly start losing weight and feeling better. It might not be possible to live by these rules 100% of the time, but you have to start somewhere. Try your best and give it a reasonable amount of time to test out. As you start to see results, you will be encouraged to continue to improve what you put in your body.